System and method for controlling electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes a processor, a first manipulator communicatively coupled with the processor, the first manipulator configured to accept longitudinal and lateral linear movements as manual inputs and provide corresponding signals to the processor, and a second manipulator communicatively coupled with the processor, the second manipulator is configured to accept longitudinal and lateral linear movements as manual inputs and provide corresponding signals to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to control the heading of the aircraft using the signals received from the second manipulator corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second manipulator. Some embodiments may additionally include at least one sensor and a thumb rocker for each manipulator.

Description

[0001] Priority Declaration

[0002] This disclosure claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 325,628 (Attorney Docket No. 16163.0009-01000), filed May 30, 2023, and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SIMULATING AN ELECTRIC VERTICAL TAKE-OFF AND LANDING AIRCRAFT,” which was filed on Dec. 28, 2022, and issued as U.S. Patent No. 11,702,191.

[0014] The present invention is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 147,640 (Attorney Docket No. 16163.0009-00000), entitled "SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING AN ELECTRICVERTICAL TAKE-OFF AND LANDING AIRCRAFT," filed on October 30, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of powered aircraft. More specifically, but not limited to, the present disclosure relates to innovations in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft using electric propulsion systems. Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to manipulator controls for eVTOL aircraft. Although primarily described with respect to eVTOL aircraft, the disclosed systems, methods, and techniques have many different applications, including but not limited to actual aircraft control systems, or aircraft simulators for flight training and other purposes, or simulating aircraft in video games. Other aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to improvements in precision and safety that can be used in other types of vehicles but provide specific advantages in aircraft. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a flight control device, comprising a processor, a first manipulator communicatively coupled to the processor, and a second manipulator communicatively coupled to the processor, the first manipulator being configured to accept longitudinal and lateral linear movements as manual input and provide corresponding signals to the processor, the second manipulator being configured to accept longitudinal and lateral linear movements as manual input and provide corresponding signals to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to control a heading of an aircraft using the signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

[0005] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a simulator device, which includes a processor, a first manipulator communicatively coupled to the processor, and a second manipulator communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the first manipulator is configured to accept longitudinal and lateral linear movements as manual input and provide corresponding signals to the processor, and the second manipulator is configured to accept longitudinal and lateral linear movements as manual input and provide corresponding signals to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to control the heading of an aircraft using the signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

[0006] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a video game device comprising a processor, a first manipulator communicatively coupled to the processor, and a second manipulator communicatively coupled to the processor, the first manipulator being configured to accept longitudinal and lateral linear movements as manual input and provide corresponding signals to the processor, the second manipulator being configured to accept longitudinal and lateral linear movements as manual input and provide corresponding signals to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to control the heading of an aircraft using the signals received from the second manipulator corresponding to the lateral linear movements of the second manipulator.

[0007] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for operating flight control. The method includes receiving signals corresponding to longitudinal and lateral linear movement of a first control and a second control, wherein the first control and the second control are configured to accept the longitudinal and lateral linear movement as manual input, and controlling movement of an aircraft based on the received signals, wherein controlling the heading of the aircraft is based on the signals corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second control.

[0008] Other systems and methods are discussed herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 A block diagram of an exemplary flight control device consistent with the disclosed embodiments is shown.

[0010] Figure 2Exemplary movement of a manipulator consistent with the disclosed embodiments is shown.

[0011] Figure 3 Exemplary movement of a manipulator consistent with the disclosed embodiments is also shown.

[0012] Figure 4 Exemplary flight phases consistent with the disclosed embodiments are shown.

[0013] Figure 5 Exemplary control mappings associated with manipulators consistent with the disclosed embodiments are shown.

[0014] Figure 6 Exemplary movement of the thumbstick consistent with the disclosed embodiments is shown.

[0015] Figure 7 A block diagram of an exemplary flight control system consistent with the disclosed embodiments is shown.

[0016] Figure 8 An exemplary manipulator consistent with the disclosed embodiments is shown.

[0017] Figure 9 An exemplary method for controlling an aircraft consistent with the disclosed embodiments is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The present disclosure deals with components of eVTOL aircraft used primarily in unconventional aircraft. For example, the eVTOL aircraft of the present disclosure may be intended for frequent (e.g., more than 50 flights per weekday), short-duration flights (e.g., less than 100 miles per flight) over, into, and out of densely populated areas. The aircraft may be intended to carry 4 to 6 passengers or commuters who desire a low noise and low vibration experience. Therefore, it may be desirable that the components of the aircraft are configured and designed to withstand frequent use without wear, that the aircraft generates less heat and vibration, and that the aircraft include mechanisms for effectively controlling and managing the heat or vibration generated by the components. In addition, it may be expected that several of these aircraft operate close to each other over crowded metropolitan areas. Therefore, it may be desirable that the components of the aircraft are configured and designed to generate low levels of noise inside and outside the aircraft, and that various safety and backup mechanisms are present. For example, for safety reasons, the aircraft is propelled by a distributed propulsion system, thereby avoiding the risk of a single point of failure, and that the aircraft is capable of conventional takeoffs and landings on a runway. Furthermore, it may be desirable for an aircraft to be able to safely take off and land vertically from relatively confined spaces (e.g., vertical takeoff and landing airports, parking areas, or motorways) compared to conventional airport runways, while transporting approximately 4 to 6 passengers or commuters with accompanying luggage. These usage requirements may impose design constraints on aircraft size, weight, and operational efficiency (e.g., drag, energy use), which may affect the design and configuration of aircraft components.

[0019] The disclosed embodiments provide for new and improved configurations of aircraft components not observed in conventional aircraft, and / or design criteria for qualifying components that differ from those of conventional aircraft. Such alternative configurations and design criteria, combined with addressing the shortcomings and challenges of conventional components, result in the disclosed embodiments for various configurations and designs of eVTOL aircraft components.

[0020] In some embodiments, the eVTOL aircraft of the present disclosure may be designed to be capable of both vertical and conventional takeoff and landing, with a distributed electric propulsion system enabling vertical flight, forward flight, and transition. Thrust may be generated by supplying high-voltage electric power to the electric engines of the distributed electric propulsion system, each of which may convert the high-voltage electric power into mechanical shaft power to rotate a propeller. Embodiments disclosed herein may relate to optimizing the energy density of the electric propulsion system. Embodiments may include electric engines connected to an onboard electric power source, which may include devices capable of storing energy, such as batteries or capacitors, or may include one or more systems for utilizing or generating electricity, such as fuel-powered generators or solar panel arrays. Some disclosed embodiments provide for reduced weight and space requirements for components within the aircraft, thereby improving aircraft efficiency and performance. Given the increasing concern for safety in passenger transportation, the disclosed embodiments implement new and improved safety protocols and system redundancy in the event of a failure to minimize any single point of failure in the aircraft's propulsion system. Some disclosed embodiments also provide new and improved methods for meeting aviation and transportation laws and regulations. For example, the United States Federal Aviation Administration enforces federal laws and regulations that require safety features, such as fire barriers, adjacent to engines that use oil or other flammable materials in excess of a threshold amount.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the distributed electric propulsion system may include twelve electric engines, which may be mounted on booms located at the front and rear of the aircraft's main wings. The front electric engines may be tilted between a horizontal orientation (e.g., to generate forward thrust) and a vertical orientation (e.g., to generate vertical lift) during flight. The front electric engines may be of a clockwise or counterclockwise type with respect to the direction of propeller rotation. The rear electric engines may be fixed in a vertical orientation (e.g., to generate vertical lift). The rear electric engines may also be of a clockwise or counterclockwise type with respect to the direction of propeller rotation. In some embodiments, the aircraft may have various combinations of front and rear electric engines. For example, the aircraft may have six front and six rear electric engines, four front and four rear electric engines, or any other combination of front and rear engines, including embodiments in which the number of front and rear electric engines is unequal.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) missions, the front electric engine as well as the rear electric engine can provide vertical thrust during take-off and landing. During the flight phase when the aircraft is in forward flight mode, the front electric engine can provide horizontal thrust, and the propeller of the rear electric engine can be retracted in a fixed position to minimize drag. The rear electric engine can be actively retracted using position monitoring. The transition from vertical flight to horizontal flight and vice versa can be achieved via the eVTOL aircraft subsystem. The eVTOL aircraft subsystem can redirect thrust between a primary vertical direction during vertical flight mode and a primary horizontal direction during forward flight mode. The variable pitch mechanism can change the total blade angle of the propeller hub assembly of the front electric engine for operation during the hover phase, transition phase, and cruise phase.

[0023] In some embodiments, the front electric engine can provide horizontal thrust for wing-borne takeoff, cruise, and landing during conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) missions. In some embodiments, the rear electric engine may not be used to generate thrust during CTOL missions, and the rear propeller may be stowed in place.

[0024] In some embodiments, the electric motor can be mounted or connected to the boom of the aircraft and includes a motor, an inverter, and a gearbox. In some embodiments, the motor, inverter, and gearbox can be interconnected so that they share a common central axis. In some embodiments, the torque generated in the motor can be transmitted from the propeller of the propulsion system to the gearbox. In some embodiments, the gearbox can provide gear reduction and then transmit the torque back to the propeller via a main shaft through bearings located inside the motor. In some embodiments, the inverter can be mounted at the rear of the gearbox so that the main shaft does not pass through the inverter when outputting torque to the propeller. In some embodiments, the motor, gearbox, and inverter can be interconnected so that a coolant (such as oil) can be used to service the motor, inverter, and / or gearbox while sharing a common heat exchanger. In some embodiments, the amount of oil used to lubricate and cool the electric motor may vary, including less than one quart, two quarts, three quarts, or any other measured amount of oil.

[0025] In some embodiments, the eVTOL aircraft system may include linear or rotary actuators to change the direction of the propulsion system during operation. In some embodiments, the pitch of the propulsion system can change with the direction of the propulsion system. In some embodiments, the rotary actuator may include a motor, an inverter, and a gearbox. In some embodiments, the gearbox may include various types of interconnected gears to provide gear reduction capable of directional propulsion system. In some embodiments, the eVTOL aircraft system may include a redundant configuration such that there are multiple motors, inverters, and gearboxes, which are interconnected using gears. In some embodiments, a configuration utilizing multiple motors, gearboxes, and inverters can enable a failed portion of the redundant configuration to be driven by the motors, inverters, and gearboxes of another portion of the configuration. In some embodiments, the gearbox configuration can also enable the eVTOL aircraft system to maintain the direction of the propulsion system with or without the aid of additional power provided by the system.

[0026] In some embodiments, the flight control system can include electric engine and propeller dynamic compensation and stabilization functionality. For aircraft that rely on changing propeller speed to alter thrust for primary or secondary dynamic control, the rate and bandwidth at which propeller speed can change can be critical. If the bandwidth is too low, the aircraft may be vulnerable to external disturbances (wind gusts, etc.) and may appear "sluggish" to the pilot or outer-loop control system. Therefore, the flight control system can use knowledge of low-order models of the relevant propeller, engine, and gearbox dynamics to calculate the required propeller torque and the resulting thrust appropriate for the desired response to the command. The bandwidth of the propeller connected to the electric engine can depend primarily on the inertia of the rotating components, the gear ratio of the gearbox (if any), the aerodynamics of the propeller, the density altitude of operation, and the speed and angle of incidence of the surrounding air. In some embodiments, the electric engine and propeller dynamic compensation and stabilization functionality can calculate the torque command output based on physical limitations (e.g., torque capacity, maximum and minimum rotational speeds, etc.).

[0027] In some embodiments, the flight control system may be configured to use flight control laws to convert movement of one or more actuators into electrical signals that are transmitted to cause physical movement of the aircraft's control surfaces. In some embodiments, the flight control system may include a flight control envelope protection function to prioritize and reject pilot commands that exceed protection values and regulatory requirements.

[0028] In some embodiments, an electric propulsion system as described herein can generate thrust by providing high voltage (HV) electric power to an electric engine, which in turn converts the HV electric power into mechanical shaft power, which is used to rotate a propeller. As described above, an aircraft as described herein can have multiple electric engines, with the multiple electric engine booms mounted to the front and rear of the wing. The amount of thrust generated by each electric engine can be controlled by torque commands issued to each electric engine by a flight control system (FCS) via a digital communication interface. Embodiments can include a forward electric engine, and its direction or pitch can be changed. Additional embodiments include a forward engine that can be of a clockwise (CW) type or a counterclockwise (CCW) type. The forward electric engine propulsion subsystem can consist of a multi-blade adjustable pitch propeller and a variable pitch subsystem.

[0029] In some embodiments, the aircraft may include a rear engine or elevator that may be of the clockwise (CW) type or the counterclockwise (CCW) type. Additional embodiments may include a rear electric engine that utilizes a multi-bladed fixed pitch propeller.

[0030] As described herein, the direction and use of the electric propulsion system may change throughout the aircraft's operation. In some embodiments, during vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), the front and rear propulsion systems can provide vertical thrust during takeoff and landing. During the aircraft's forward flight mode, the front propulsion system can provide horizontal thrust, while the rear propulsion system propellers can be stowed in a fixed position to minimize drag. The rear electric propulsion system can be actively stowed using position monitoring. Some embodiments can include transitions from vertical to horizontal flight, and vice versa. In some embodiments, the transition can be accomplished via the eVTOL aircraft system. The eVTOL aircraft system redirects thrust between a primary vertical direction during vertical flight mode and a primary horizontal direction during forward flight mode. Additional embodiments can include a variable pitch mechanism that can vary the front propulsion system propeller hub assembly blade angle for operation during hover, cruise, and transition phases. Some embodiments can include a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) configuration, where the flipper provides horizontal thrust for wing-borne takeoff, cruise, and landing. The rear electric engine is not used to generate thrust during CTOL missions, and the rear propeller is stowed in place.

[0031] In some embodiments, the electric engines described herein may include design features to mitigate and prevent uncontrolled fires, such as tilt and lift engines containing less than a quart or other non-hazardous amount of flammable fluid, no rated ignition source within the electric engine, an engine over-temperature operating limit that may be more than 50°C below the auto-ignition temperature of the flammable fluid, over-temperature detection and protection, over-voltage detection and protection, and over-current detection and protection. In some embodiments, the design features of the electric engine may deem it to be outside a designated fire zone.

[0032] As disclosed herein, an electric power engine may include an inverter and a motor; or an inverter, gearbox, and motor across various configurations, such as the representative configurations described herein. For example, an electric power engine may include a motor, gearbox, and inverter that share the same central axis. Additionally, the central axis may be configured along the axis of an output shaft directed toward the propellers of the aircraft. In such exemplary configurations, the motor, gearbox, and inverter all share the output shaft as the central axis and are oriented in a circle around the output shaft. Additional embodiments may include a motor, gearbox, and inverter mounted together in sequence, or a configuration in which some of the components (such as the motor and gearbox) are mounted together and another component (such as the inverter) is located elsewhere, but a wiring system is used to connect the electric power engine.

[0033] As described above, an electric engine for an aircraft as described herein may include some or all of a motor, an inverter, and a gearbox. Various configurations may include an inverter and a motor such that the output shaft of the motor provides speed and torque directly to a propeller shaft. Additional embodiments of the electric engine may include a motor, an inverter, and a gearbox, wherein the output of the motor may pass through a gearbox connected to an output shaft for the propeller; a motor, an inverter, and a gearbox, wherein the output from the motor passes away from the propeller through a gearbox, wherein the output shaft for the propeller passes through the gearbox and the motor back to the propeller. As described herein, an electric engine may refer to any combination or orientation of some or all of the motor, inverter, and gearbox. Additionally, each configuration or orientation of the electric engine as disclosed herein may include cooling via air cooling, coolant, or a mixture of both.

[0034] For example, an electric engine configuration may include a motor and an inverter, wherein the motor is located between the aircraft's propellers and the inverter. Alternatively, the motor may include a gearbox. Furthermore, the inverter may share a common central axis with the motor, wherein the inverter may be located in a housing cantilevered from the rear of the motor and may be air-cooled. It has been recognized that this type of inverter orientation is not optimal in terms of the housing required to achieve such a cantilevered orientation. Furthermore, in such a configuration, an air-cooled motor may include potting material and air fins to aid in motor cooling, which may further increase the mass of the system.

[0035] Some embodiments may include an electric engine in which the inverter module may be mounted external to the motor housing. Other embodiments may include an electric engine in which the inverter may be mounted on top of the motor such that the inverter's air cooling fins are positioned below the propeller. Other embodiments may include an inverter mounted to the back of the motor with the air cooling fins facing radially outward; an inverter mounted to the front of the motor with the air cooling fins facing radially outward; an inverter mounted to the motor wherein the inverter is cooled by a liquid (e.g., oil); or any other location of the inverter relative to the motor.

[0036] Embodiments of the electric motor may include a stator housing, a wound stator assembly, a rotor, various bearings, and any additional components to help transfer the speed and torque generated by the electric motor to the propeller.

[0037] It should be understood that the power engine may generate heat during operation and a thermal management system may be included to ensure that the components of the power engine do not fail during operation. In some embodiments, a coolant may be used and circulated throughout various components of the engine (such as the inverter, gearbox, or motor), in some or all of the components of the engine, to help manage the heat present in the engine. Additional embodiments may include using air cooling methods to cool the power engine, or using a mixture of coolant and air to manage the heat generated during operation of the power engine. In some embodiments, the coolant used may also be the same liquid used as a lubricant throughout the inverter, gearbox, or motor. For example, liquid or air may be used to cool the inverter, gearbox, and motor, or a mixture of air and liquid cooling may be used, such as using air cooling to cool the motor and using liquid cooling in the inverter and gearbox, or any other combination of air and liquid cooling across the inverter, gearbox, and motor, or even a subset of these components.

[0038] In some embodiments, oil can be used as a lubricant throughout the electric engine and also as a coolant to help manage the heat generated by the engine during operation. Beyond this example, different amounts of oil can be used as lubricant and coolant in the electric engine, such as requiring less than one quart, less than two quarts, or any other amount of oil to lubricate and cool the electric engine with or without air cooling. As disclosed herein, electric engines may have different primary functions, such as being used only for liftoff and landing and therefore only in one direction, or being used during all phases of flight, such as liftoff, landing, and flight. An engine used in all phases of flight may experience a variety of directions throughout flight and therefore may contain more lubricant and coolant than an engine used only in one direction. Therefore, the amounts of lubricant and coolant included in all engines on an aircraft may vary. For example, an engine used for liftoff and landing may require less than one quart of oil, while an engine operating during all phases of flight may require more than one quart of oil. It should be understood that the example embodiments described herein are representative and not limiting of the amounts of lubricant and coolant that can be used in an electric engine.

[0039] It should be understood that using oil to not only lubricate but also cool the electric engine, rather than using another coolant, would add additional oil to the system, but would remove conventional components that might be used to cool such an electric engine. For example, if the electric engine had been cooled by another liquid such as ethylene glycol, the engine could include separate heat exchangers for both the lubricating liquid and the coolant. Thus, in embodiments where a single fluid (such as oil) is used for both lubrication and cooling, there is an increase in oil, but only one heat exchanger is required, so the overall system mass may be reduced and a more aesthetically pleasing drag curve may be presented due to the use of fewer heat exchangers and the potential lack of other components. Furthermore, using a single substance for both lubrication and cooling of the engine can improve the efficiency of the system due to the reduction in mass and the benefit of using a single substance to cool the engine rather than relying on air cooling, which can create issues as it passes through the entire engine.

[0040] Additional embodiments of the electric engine may also have various components to ensure that any flammable fluids are monitored and prevented from entering certain parts of the electric engine. Some embodiments may include an electric engine having a wet area enclosure that may be defined by a gearbox, a motor, and / or a heat exchanger. In some embodiments, the electric engine may have up to 4 liters of air within the motor gearbox housing that is in contact with the engine oil. Embodiments of the motor gearbox housing may use a vent valve to balance internal and external pressures. Embodiments of the vent valve may include design features that protrude it above a nearby area to prevent accidental ingress of external fluids. Additional embodiments may include a vent valve with a filter and a circuitous entry path to prevent the ingress of external debris. Embodiments may include sight glasses present on both the tilting electric engine and the lifting electric engine to check whether the oil is overfilled or underfilled during maintenance.

[0041] Additional embodiments of the electric engine may include active protection features in the front and rear electric engines, such as monitoring internal temperatures throughout engine operation, including oil temperature, stator windings, inverter bulk capacitors, power modules, control board power modules, control board control processors, control board monitoring processors, internal hot spots, and other locations throughout the engine. Embodiments may include overtemperature limits that take into account known fault temperatures and operating limits related to the auto-ignition temperature of the fluid. Some embodiments may include a high-voltage power supply system, which may include fuses at the high-voltage battery terminals that can quickly and irreversibly disconnect the engine electrical connections to mitigate overcurrent events. Overcurrent protection is activated when the electric engine current draw exceeds the overcurrent operating current. Therefore, in some embodiments, a fault condition that causes overcurrent may only result in a transient overheating, arcing, or sparking fault. Some embodiments may include a fire threat signature test ignition source, which may be selected to be more severe than an ignition source that would occur if a short circuit occurred in the electric engine and was opened by the engine fuse. In some embodiments, the inverter will detect AC overcurrent and isolate the wrong phase and / or will continuously monitor the input DC voltage and will take protective measures to keep the voltage below the overvoltage operating limit.

[0042] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The following description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which like numbers in different figures represent like or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments set forth in the following description of the exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. Rather, the embodiments are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with aspects related to the subject matter recited in the appended claims.

[0043] Figure 1 1 shows a block diagram of an exemplary flight control device 100 consistent with the disclosed embodiments. Figure 1As shown in FIG, an embodiment of a flight control device for an aircraft may include controllers 110 and 120 (e.g., joysticks, rockers, controllers, etc.), thumbsticks 112 and 122, at least one processor 130, at least one memory 140, one or more sensors 150, an actuator 160, and an engine 170. Controllers 110 and 120 may be any input device in the form of a rocker, such as a joystick, or controller, configured to control the movement of the aircraft via manual input (e.g., controller movement) received from a user (e.g., a pilot). In some embodiments, the controllers may be located at specific positions relative to the pilot of the aircraft. For example, one of the controllers may be located to the pilot's left (i.e., left controller 110), and the other controller may be located to the pilot's right (i.e., right controller 120). In some embodiments, each controller may have one or more sensors integrated into the controller, the one or more sensors configured to respond to forces applied via the controller's movement by generating electronic signals corresponding to the controller's movement and transmitting the electronic signals to processor 130. Additionally or alternatively, each manipulator may include a force feedback component configured to receive a control signal from a flight control computer of the flight control device and apply a reaction force based on the received control signal. As discussed below, thumb sticks 112 and 122 may be configured to function as buzzer manipulators. In some embodiments, thumb sticks 112 or 122 may function as an alternative manipulator to their corresponding manipulator in response to receiving an override signal. Processor 130 may be any processing unit (e.g., a computing device, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, a system on a chip, a digital signal processor, etc.) configured to execute operations based on instructions stored in one or more memories (e.g., memory 140). Sensor 150 may be any sensor configured to measure data associated with the aircraft. For example, one or more sensors 150 may be configured to measure one or more of airspeed, ground speed, temperature, acceleration, static pressure, angular rate, position (e.g., GPS), attitude, altitude, heading, etc. associated with the aircraft. Actuator 160 may include actuators that can be controlled to move flight control surfaces. As discussed above, the engine 170 may include a propulsion engine.

[0044] In some embodiments, the flight control device may include foot pedals (not shown). Preferred embodiments of the flight control device may not include foot pedals configured to control the heading of the aircraft via the yaw axis of the aircraft in flight. Additionally or alternatively, preferred embodiments of the flight control device may include one or more foot pedals that are configured only to control the braking function of the aircraft when the aircraft is on the ground via manual input (e.g., stepping on the foot pedals) received from a user (e.g., a pilot). Additionally or alternatively, the one or more foot pedals may be configured for use during conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) operations. In some embodiments, the one or more foot pedals may each be configured to respond to a force applied via movement of the foot pedal by generating an electronic signal corresponding to the movement of the foot pedal and transmitting the electronic signal to the processor 130.

[0045] Figure 2 A diagram 200 illustrating exemplary movement of a manipulator consistent with the disclosed embodiments is shown. Figure 2 As shown in , in some embodiments, each manipulator can be configured to move longitudinally (i.e., up / forward and down / backward) and / or laterally (i.e., right and left) on a base, wherein each longitudinal and lateral movement and the resulting manipulator position can be interpreted as a digital value to be input into at least one processor and output as a signal to various electrical and mechanical components of the aircraft. For example, based on the longitudinal and lateral movement of the manipulator, the at least one processor can be configured to output a signal to change the amount of thrust provided to each motor. As another example, based on the longitudinal and lateral movement of the manipulator, the at least one processor can be configured to change the shape and / or orientation of the wing.

[0046] Figure 3 A diagram 300 is shown that also illustrates exemplary movement of a manipulator consistent with the disclosed embodiments. Figure 3 As shown in , in some embodiments, each manipulator can be mounted on a base 310 and can be configured for linear movement. For example, each manipulator can be configured to pivot about a long axis through the manipulator, where the manipulator can pivot laterally (320) and / or longitudinally (330). In a preferred embodiment, the manipulator may not be configured for rotational movement. For example, the manipulator may not be configured to twist (340) about the base 310. This ergonomic configuration can improve the efficiency of pilots who need to perform a large number of flights in a day. In addition, this manipulator configuration can reduce the error rate associated with piloting, especially in turbulent environments (e.g., wind, rain, vibration), where inputs with twisting motions may be less accurate. Although Figure 3 The left manipulator 110 is shown as an exemplary manipulator, but the same configuration may be applied to the right manipulator 120 .

[0047] Figure 4 A diagram 400 showing exemplary airspeeds associated with different phases of flight is shown consistent with the disclosed embodiments. In some embodiments, one or more sensors can communicate with at least one processor such that the at least one processor can determine the phase of flight of an aircraft based on the airspeed of the aircraft measured or otherwise determined (e.g., by or using the sensors). Phases of flight as discussed in the disclosed embodiments may include hovering 410, transition 420, and conventional flight, takeoff and landing 430. Figure 4 As shown in FIG, at least one processor can be configured to: determine that the aircraft is in a hover phase 410 when the aircraft's airspeed is less than a first predetermined airspeed (e.g., 5 kts), determine that the aircraft is in a transition phase 420 when the aircraft's airspeed is greater than or equal to the first predetermined airspeed and less than a second predetermined airspeed (e.g., 17 kts), and determine that the aircraft is in a conventional flight, takeoff, or landing phase 430 when the aircraft's airspeed is greater than or equal to the second predetermined airspeed. Additionally or alternatively, the at least one processor can determine the flight phase based on input received via a user interface. For example, the at least one processor can receive a signal indicating that the pilot desires to change flight phase, wherein the signal is generated based on the received pilot input (e.g., receiving an indication of a button being pressed / moved on a controller). Additionally or alternatively, the at least one processor can determine the flight phase based on a measured ground speed.

[0048] Figure 5 An exemplary table 500 of control mappings associated with manipulators consistent with the disclosed embodiments is shown. Figure 5As shown in , in some embodiments, at least one processor can be configured to use a control law based on a determined flight phase. A control law, as discussed in the disclosed embodiments, can refer to a mathematical formula for determining an output to be sent to an aircraft. A control law can be implemented as a software algorithm that can convert movements of an actuator, such as those made by a pilot of the aircraft, into movements of one or more aircraft control surfaces. For example, at least one processor can be configured to use a control law to control the aircraft based on a determined flight phase, such that when the determined flight phase is hover 410, the longitudinal linear movement of the first actuator can provide a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the longitudinal inertial velocity of the aircraft, and the lateral linear movement of the first actuator can provide a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the lateral inertial velocity of the aircraft. Additionally, during the hover phase 410, the longitudinal linear movement of the second actuator can provide a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the vertical velocity of the aircraft, and the lateral linear movement of the second actuator can provide a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the hovering turn rate of the aircraft. On the other hand, when the determined flight phase is transition 420 or conventional flight, takeoff and landing (CTOL) 430, the longitudinal linear movement of the first control element may provide a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the rate of change of the aircraft's airspeed, and the lateral linear movement of the first control element may provide a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the lateral relative airspeed of the aircraft. Additionally, in transition 420 and CTOL 430, the longitudinal linear movement of the second control element may provide a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the flight path angular rate of the aircraft, and the lateral linear movement of the second control element may provide a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the banked turn rate of the aircraft.

[0049] In some embodiments, at least one processor may be configured to control the heading or altitude of the aircraft using signals received from the manipulator corresponding to linear movement of the manipulator. For example, at least one processor may be configured to control the heading of the aircraft using signals received from the second manipulator corresponding to lateral linear movement of the second manipulator. Additionally or alternatively, at least one processor may also be configured to control the heading of the aircraft using a control law. Additionally or alternatively, at least one processor may also be configured to control the heading of the aircraft based on a determined flight phase. For example, during a vertical takeoff or landing during a hover flight phase, the processor may be configured to control the heading via the aircraft's yaw axis using signals received from the second manipulator corresponding to lateral linear movement of the second manipulator. In some embodiments, the processor may be configured to control the altitude of the aircraft using signals received from the second manipulator corresponding to longitudinal linear movement of the second manipulator. For example, at least one processor may be configured to control the altitude via the aircraft's pitch axis using signals received from the second manipulator corresponding to longitudinal linear movement of the second manipulator.

[0050] like Figure 5 As further shown in FIG, in some embodiments, at least one processor can be configured to output a response signal to the electrical and mechanical components of the aircraft so that the aircraft maintains a certain state in response to any manipulator returning to a detent position. Returning to a "detent" position as discussed in the disclosed embodiments can refer to when the manipulator returns to a neutral position (i.e., 0) along the longitudinal or lateral axis (i.e., a zero ground speed command). For example, when the left manipulator returns to a detent position in the longitudinal axis, at least one processor can be configured to output a response signal so that the aircraft maintains its longitudinal position or maintains the airspeed at which the aircraft was moving before the left manipulator returned to the detent position. Additionally, when the left manipulator returns to a detent position in the lateral axis, at least one processor can output a response signal so that the aircraft maintains its lateral position or maintains the aircraft's turn coordination. On the other hand, when the right manipulator returns to a detent position in the longitudinal axis, at least one processor can output a response signal so that the aircraft maintains its altitude or maintains the flight path angle at which the aircraft was moving before the right manipulator returned to the detent position. Additionally, when the right control element returns to a detent position in the lateral axis, at least one processor may output a response signal to maintain the aircraft's heading. In response to any control element returning to a detent position, signals may be sent to electrical and mechanical components of the aircraft to effect changes, such as adjusting propeller pitch, propeller speed, roll angle, rudder deflection, roll compensation, and the like.

[0051] In some embodiments, at least one processor may be configured to output certain response signals based on the determined flight phase. For example, when the left control arm returns to a detent position in the longitudinal axis while the aircraft is in a hover phase, at least one processor may output a response signal to maintain the aircraft's longitudinal position. Alternatively, when the left control arm returns to a detent position in the longitudinal axis while the aircraft is in a transition or CTOL phase, at least one processor may output a response signal to maintain the aircraft's airspeed prior to the left control arm returning to the detent position. In another example, when the left control arm returns to a detent position in the lateral axis while the aircraft is in a hover phase, at least one processor may output a response signal to adjust the roll angle to maintain the aircraft's lateral position. Alternatively, when the left control arm returns to a detent position in the lateral axis while the aircraft is in a transition or CTOL phase, at least one processor may output a response signal to maintain the aircraft's coordinated turn. Turn coordination, as discussed in the disclosed embodiments, may refer to maintaining a coordinated turn without generating lateral acceleration. Doing so may result in the pilot and passengers of the aircraft not feeling lateral g-forces until the left control element is moved out of the detent position to command a non-zero lateral velocity, in which case the turn may no longer be coordinated. In another example, when the right control element returns to the detent position in the longitudinal axis while the aircraft is in a hover phase, at least one processor may output a response signal to maintain the aircraft's altitude. On the other hand, when the right control element returns to the detent position in the longitudinal axis while the aircraft is in a transition or CTOL phase, at least one processor may output a response signal to maintain the aircraft's flight path angle. Maintaining the aircraft's flight path angle, as discussed in the disclosed embodiments, may mean that the control element commands a constant reference flight path angle so that when the aircraft is disturbed, the control law causes feedback to return the aircraft to the commanded flight path angle. In some embodiments, when the right control element is moved out of the detent position in the lateral axis, the corresponding command may be a non-zero roll angle (i.e., a non-zero turn rate), and when the right control element returns to the detent position in the lateral axis, the corresponding command may be a near-zero roll angle (i.e., heading hold), regardless of the determined flight phase. Additionally or alternatively, in certain phases of flight (e.g., CTOL), when the right control is moved out of a detent position in the lateral axis, the corresponding command may be a non-zero roll rate, and when the right control is returned to a detent position in the lateral axis, the corresponding command may be to maintain a constant roll angle.

[0052] Embodiments of the disclosed manipulators can be configured to allow each manipulator to be in a detent position along one axis but not another. For example, the left manipulator can be in a detent position along the longitudinal axis while simultaneously moving laterally to command lateral movement. Furthermore, embodiments of the disclosed manipulators can be configured to allow detent positions along both the longitudinal and lateral axes. For example, when the left manipulator returns to a detent position along both the longitudinal and lateral axes while in a hover phase, at least one processor can output a response signal to cause the aircraft to maintain both its longitudinal and lateral positions.

[0053] In some embodiments, the flight control system may include a response mode change button. The response mode change button may be located on one of the control elements (e.g., the left control element) and, when pressed, changes the response mode from a translation rate command response type and position hold (TRC+PH) to an acceleration / attitude command and velocity / velocity hold (ACSH / ACVH), resulting in a different response when the left control element returns to a detent position in the longitudinal axis. In TRC+PH mode, the aircraft may respond to the left control element returning to a detent position in the longitudinal axis by maintaining the aircraft's longitudinal position. Once the pilot presses the response mode change button to change the response mode to ACSH / ACVH mode, the aircraft may respond to the left control element returning to a detent position in the longitudinal axis by maintaining the airspeed at which the aircraft was moving before the left control element returned to the detent position in the longitudinal axis. In some embodiments, the response mode change button may be used only when the aircraft is moving at a ground speed less than a predetermined threshold (e.g., less than 17 kts). For example, when a request is received (e.g., due to pressing a response mode change button) while the aircraft is moving at a ground speed greater than a predetermined threshold, the at least one processor can ignore any received request to change the response mode. In some embodiments, each time the response mode changes, the current response mode is announced to the pilot. For example, the at least one processor can cause the current response mode to be displayed in textual form via a visual indicator in front of the pilot (e.g., a flight mode annunciation system).

[0054] In some embodiments, the flight control device may include a transition button configured to configure the aircraft into a transition mode for a departure transition and an inbound transition. For example, the transition button may be located on only one of the control elements (e.g., the left control element), and when the transition button is moved upward / forward (FWD), at least one processor may signal the electrical and mechanical components of the aircraft to prepare the aircraft for the departure transition mode, including initiating a planned optimal airspeed transition to reach a designed cruising speed. In some embodiments, the planned optimal airspeed may be a predetermined optimal airspeed. As discussed in the disclosed embodiments, "optimal" may refer to predetermined data stored in a lookup table to address certain situations. For example, the optimal airspeed associated with a first situation in which the aircraft is pursuing a particularly rapid climb may be different from the optimal airspeed associated with a second situation in which the aircraft is pursuing a slow climb. In some embodiments, the departure transition function may be enabled once the aircraft is a certain distance from the ground. For example, the departure transition function may not be enabled while the aircraft is still on the ground. In some embodiments, once the departure transition function is enabled, only the left control element may increase or decrease the transition speed without canceling the departure transition function. In some embodiments, the departure transition function may be canceled by moving the transition button down / backward (AFT).

[0055] In some embodiments, when the transition button is moved downward / backward, the aircraft may be placed into an inbound transition mode, which can initiate an optimal deceleration curve and stabilize the aircraft at a given location. For example, the flight control system may include a map configured to display a landing point to the pilot. In some embodiments, the manipulator may be configured to accept input to change the landing point displayed on the map. For example, if the pilot determines that the displayed landing point is not ideal, moving the manipulator forward or backward can move the aircraft's landing point outward or inward, respectively. In some embodiments, the flight control system may include a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit for precise geolocation. Additionally or alternatively, at least one processor may determine the landing point based on wind speed. For example, at least one processor may communicate with one or more sensors to measure the aircraft's position as it decelerates, providing feedback to ensure that the aircraft stops at a designated landing point. This allows for continuous adjustment for uncertain wind forces as the aircraft decelerates, and the flight control system control law may configure the flight control system to perform this operation automatically after initiating the transition, without pilot input. In some embodiments, the flight control system may use position information relative to the landing point to determine the landing point. For example, the flight control device may store one or more previously identified landing locations (e.g., through flight planning, selection via a display screen, etc.), such that activating the inbound transition mode may cause the aircraft to hover at one of the one or more previously identified landing locations. The transition mode may function to reduce pilot workload and may alleviate stick forces while allowing the aircraft to follow a designed optimal transition curve.

[0056] Figure 6 A diagram 600 illustrating exemplary movement of manipulators consistent with the disclosed embodiments is shown. In some embodiments, each thumb rocker can be configured to function in place of its associated manipulator. For example, Figure 6As shown in FIG, the left thumbstick 112 can be configured to pivot longitudinally (i.e., up / forward and down / backward) and / or laterally (i.e., right and left) on the base, where each longitudinal and lateral movement and the resulting manipulator position can be interpreted as a digital value for input into at least one processor and output as a signal to various electrical and mechanical components of the aircraft. In some embodiments, the flight control system can include a manipulator disable button for each manipulator to transfer control from the manipulator to its respective thumbstick. For example, upon detecting a manipulator malfunction (e.g., the aircraft becomes unresponsive to manipulator movement, a manipulator becomes stuck, etc.), pressing the disable button can transfer control to the thumbstick, allowing the thumbstick to replace the malfunctioning manipulator. In some embodiments, control can be transferred from a manipulator to its corresponding thumbstick on one side, while control of the other side remains in the manipulator. For example, pressing the left manipulator disable button can transfer control from the left manipulator to the left thumbstick, but the right manipulator is unaffected, so that control remains in the right manipulator. In some embodiments, the corresponding thumbstick may be inactive until a request is received to disable the manipulator (e.g., by pressing a manipulator disable button). In other embodiments, each thumbstick may have a separate function until the system receives a request to switch control from a manipulator to its corresponding thumbstick. Figure 6 The left manipulator 110 and thumb stick 112 are shown as an example, but the same configuration applies to the right manipulator 120 and thumb stick 122 .

[0057] Figure 7 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary control system 700 for an electric VTOL aircraft consistent with the disclosed embodiments. The system 700 may be implemented by a microprocessor-based controller executing software code stored in a storage medium to perform the functions described herein. The system 700 may also be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software. The system 700 may be implemented as part of a flight control system for an aircraft and may be configured to repeatedly perform a single step or sequence until a desired or commanded result is achieved. It should be understood that for ease of description, Figure 7 Many conventional functions of a control system are not shown.

[0058] The system 700 may detect one or more inputs 702a, 702b, 702c, and 702d, which may include at least one of the position and / or velocity of a right and / or left control, signals received from switches on the control (e.g., in response to a type change command, a trim input, a backup control input, etc.), measurements of aircraft states and environmental conditions based on data received from one or more sensors of the aircraft (e.g., measured load factor, airspeed, bank angle, pitch angle, actuator state, battery state, aerodynamic parameters, temperature, wind gusts, etc.), obstacles (e.g., the presence or absence of other aircraft and / or debris), and aircraft modes (e.g., ground taxi, takeoff, airborne). For example, input 702a may include the lateral position and / or velocity of the right actuator, input 702b may include the lateral position and / or velocity of the left actuator, input 702c may include the longitudinal position and / or velocity of the right actuator, input 702d may include the longitudinal position and / or velocity of the left actuator, and each input may include additional data as listed above (e.g., signals from switches, measurements of aircraft state, aircraft mode, etc.). Actuator state may include actuator hardware limitations, such as travel limits, speed limits, response time limits, etc., and may include actuator health indicators that may indicate deterioration in actuator performance, which may limit the ability of a given actuator to meet actuator commands. Actuator state may be used to determine limits (e.g., minimum / maximum values) for individual actuator commands. Battery state may be the remaining energy in the aircraft's battery pack, which may be monitored when the control distribution model 760 considers balancing the battery pack energy state. Aerodynamic parameters may be parameters derived from aerodynamic and acoustic modeling and may be based on the actuator Jacobian matrix and the actuator state. Each input received from the manipulator may indicate that the pilot desires to adjust the heading or power output of the aircraft.

[0059] Command models 710, 712, 714, and 716 can be configured to determine the shape of a desired aircraft response (e.g., aggressiveness, turn rate, damping, overshoot, etc.). For example, each of command models 710, 712, 714, and 716 can be configured to receive and interpret at least one of inputs 702a, 702b, 702c, and 702d and, in response, calculate a corresponding desired change in the aircraft's direction, heading, and thrust, or a combination thereof, using an integrator (not shown). In some embodiments, input 702a can be input to turn rate command model 710, input 702b can be input to lateral speed command model 712, input 702c can be input to climb command model 714, and input 702d can be input to forward speed command model 716. Turn rate command model 710 can be configured to output a desired position and / or turn rate command, and can also be configured to calculate a desired heading for the aircraft when the manipulator is brought back to a centered position (i.e., in a detent position). The lateral velocity command model 712 can be configured to output a desired position and / or a lateral velocity command. The climb command model 714 can be configured to output a desired altitude and / or a vertical velocity command. The forward velocity command model 716 can be configured to output a desired position and / or a longitudinal velocity command. In some embodiments, one or more of the command models can be configured to output an acceleration generated in response to a change in the velocity command. For example, the climb command model 714 can be configured to output a vertical acceleration generated in response to a change in the vertical velocity command.

[0060] Feedforwards 720a and 720b can each receive as input a desired change (e.g., desired position, velocity, and / or acceleration) from corresponding command models 710, 712, 714, and / or 716, as well as data received from one or more aircraft sensors (e.g., airspeed, aircraft orientation, vehicle load factor, measured acceleration, vehicle mass and inertia, air density, altitude, aircraft mode, etc.), and can be configured to output, for each desired change, a corresponding force required to achieve the desired change. In some embodiments, feedforwards 720 and 720b can be configured to determine the corresponding force using a simplified model of aircraft dynamics. For example, based on a known or determined mass of the aircraft, feedforwards 720a and 720b can be configured to determine the force required to comply with the desired acceleration command. In some embodiments, feedforwards 720a and 720b can be configured to use a model to predict the amount of drag generated on the vehicle as a function of velocity in order to determine the force required to comply with the desired velocity command signal.

[0061] Feedback 722a, 722b, 722c, and 722d can each receive as input a desired change (e.g., a desired position, velocity, and / or acceleration) from command models 710, 712, 714, and 716, as well as data received by vehicle dynamics 730. For example, vehicle dynamics 730 can include the physical and / or natural dynamics of the aircraft, including sensor measurements of how the aircraft moves in response to pilot input, propulsion system output, environmental conditions, etc. Additionally or alternatively, vehicle dynamics 730 can include error signals generated by one or more processors based on external disturbances (e.g., velocity disturbances caused by gusts of wind). In some embodiments, feedback 722a, 722b, 722c, and 722d can be configured to generate feedback forces based on the received error signals. For example, feedback 722a, 722b, 722c, and 722d can generate feedback forces to counteract the effects of external disturbances. Additionally or alternatively, feedback 722a, 722b, 722c, and 722d can also be configured to generate feedback forces based on modeling errors. For example, if an incorrect vehicle mass is input into feedforward 720a or 720b, the acceleration of the vehicle may be faster or slower than the desired change. Based on determining the difference between the desired acceleration and the measured acceleration, one or more processors can generate an error signal (e.g., included in vehicle dynamics 730), which can be circulated into feedback 733a, 733b, 733c, and / or 722d to determine the additional force required to correct the error.

[0062] In some embodiments, feedback 722a, 722b, 722c, and 722d can be disabled. For example, in response to a loss of position and / or ground speed feedback due to an interruption in global positioning system (GPS) communications, system 700 can be configured to operate without feedback 722a, 722b, 722c, and 722d until GPS communications are reconnected.

[0063] In some embodiments, feedback 722a, 722b, 722c, and 722d can receive as input a plurality of measurements and a confidence value for each measurement indicating whether the measurement is valid. For example, one or more processors of system 700 can assign a Boolean (true / false) value to each measurement in a control law to indicate that the measurement is trustworthy (e.g., yes) or that the measurement may be invalid (e.g., no). Based on the one or more processors identifying the measurement as invalid, feedback 722a, 722b, 722c, and / or 722d can ignore the measurement for further processing. For example, based on one or more processors identifying the heading measurement as invalid, feedback 722a, 722b, 722c, and / or 722d can omit subsequent heading measurements when determining the feedback force.

[0064] In some embodiments, feedback 722a, 722b, 722c, 722d can determine one or more feedback forces based on actuator state information received from one or more sensors (e.g., included in vehicle dynamics 730). For example, based on actuator state information indicating that an actuator has failed, one or more processors of system 700 can update control laws and determine alternative commands to achieve the desired change. Additionally or alternatively, based on actuator state information indicating that one or more actuators are at maximum force, one or more processors of system 700 can update control laws and determine alternative commands to achieve the desired change.

[0065] The desired total force can be calculated based on the outputs of feedback 722a, 722b, 722c, 722d and feedforwards 720a and 720b. For example, one or more processors of system 700 can calculate the desired turn rate force by summing the outputs of feedback 722a and feedforward 720a. Additionally or alternatively, one or more processors of system 700 can calculate the desired lateral force by summing the outputs of feedback 722b and feedforward 720a. Additionally or alternatively, one or more processors of system 700 can calculate the desired vertical force by summing the outputs of feedback 722c and feedforward 720b. Additionally or alternatively, one or more processors of system 700 can calculate the desired longitudinal force by summing the outputs of feedback 722d and feedforward 720b.

[0066] The mixers 740a and 740b can each be configured to receive as input one or more desired forces and data received from one or more aircraft sensors (e.g., airspeed, vehicle orientation, vehicle load factor, measured acceleration, vehicle mass and inertia, actuator function / failure indications, air density, altitude, aircraft mode, whether the aircraft is airborne, etc.). Based on the inputs, the mixers 740a and 740b can be configured to command pressure ramp 742, yaw 744, pitch 746, requested thrust 748, or output a combination of different commands / requests to achieve the one or more desired forces.

[0067] Blender 740a can receive a desired turn rate force and / or a desired lateral force as input and can command ramp pressure 742 and / or yaw 744. In some embodiments, blender 740a can determine an output based on the determined flight mode. For example, in hover flight mode, blender 740a can achieve the desired lateral force by focusing on ramp pressure command 742 and can achieve the desired turn rate force by focusing on yaw command 744. In forward flight mode, blender 740a can achieve the desired lateral force by focusing on yaw command 744 and can achieve the desired turn rate force by focusing on ramp pressure command 742. In the transition between hover flight mode and forward flight mode, blender 740a can use a combination of ramp pressure command 742 and yaw command 744 to achieve the desired force.

[0068] The mixer 740b can receive the desired vertical force and / or the desired longitudinal force as input and can output a pitch command 746 (i.e., pitch angle) and a thrust request 748. The thrust request 748 can include longitudinal thrust (i.e., a mixture of cabin tilt and front propeller thrust) and vertical thrust (i.e., a combination of front and rear thrust). In some embodiments, the mixer 740b can determine the output based on the determined flight mode. For example, in hover flight mode, the mixer 740b can achieve the desired longitudinal force by lowering the pitch attitude and using longitudinal thrust, and can achieve the desired vertical force by focusing on vertical thrust. In forward flight mode, the mixer 740b can achieve the desired longitudinal force by focusing on longitudinal thrust (e.g., front propeller thrust). In cruise flight mode, the mixer 740b can achieve the desired vertical force by commanding pitch 746 (e.g., increasing the pitch attitude) and requiring thrust 748 (e.g., increasing longitudinal thrust).

[0069] In some embodiments, mixers 740a and 740b can be configured to output force and torque commands to inner loop 750. The force and torque commands can include up to six force and torque commands, which can include x, y, and z force commands and x, y, and z torque commands. As is known in the art, the force and torque commands can come from operator commands (or autopilot commands, or commands from an autonomous controller of a non-unmanned aircraft) and aircraft state (e.g., velocity, acceleration, altitude, attitude).

[0070] Inner loop 750 can be configured to determine the mechanical and electrical movements required to implement the received force and torque commands. In some embodiments, inner loop 750 can be dependent on vehicle dynamics 730. For example, inner loop 750 can be configured to compensate for disturbances at attitude and velocity levels to stabilize the vehicle. Additionally or alternatively, inner loop 750 can take into account the period of natural modes (e.g., heave modes) that affect the pitch axis and can appropriately control the vehicle to compensate for such natural modes of the vehicle. In some embodiments, inner loop 750 may be dependent on vehicle inertia.

[0071] The control distribution model 760 may receive as input one or more of the following: force and torque commands, data received from one or more aircraft sensors, envelope protection limits, scheduling parameters, and optimizer parameters. Based on the inputs, the control distribution model 760 may be configured to determine actuator commands by minimizing an objective function that includes one or more primary objectives (e.g., satisfying commanded aircraft forces and torques) and one or more secondary objectives, which may include minimizing acoustic noise and / or optimizing battery pack usage.

[0072] Envelope protection limits may include command limits that prevent operation outside the flight envelope, which defines operating limits for the aircraft, including limits based on velocity and acceleration, as is known in the art.

[0073] The scheduling parameters may be speed-related parameters used to define the allocation problem.

[0074] As discussed above, aerodynamic parameters may be a function of scheduling parameters.

[0075] As discussed further below, optimizer parameters can be parameters used to define the optimization problem. Optimizer parameters can include axis weights that define the relative priority of force and torque axes. Optimizer parameters can also include individual actuator weights to define the relative importance of different actuators in the control allocation problem. In some embodiments, optimizer parameters can be a function of scheduling parameters.

[0076] In some embodiments, the control distribution model 760 can be configured to calculate limits for individual actuator commands based on the actuator states and the envelope protection limits. During normal operation, the minimum command limit for a given actuator is the maximum of: the hardware-based minimum limit and the minimum flight envelope limit; and the maximum command limit for a given actuator is the minimum of: the hardware-based maximum limit and the maximum flight envelope limit. In the event of an actuator failure, the command limit for the failed actuator corresponds to the failure mode.

[0077] Figure 8Exemplary controllers consistent with the disclosed embodiments are shown. For example, left controller 802a may be the controller located on the pilot's left side, and right controller 802b may be the controller located on the pilot's right side. Left controller 802a may include a thumb stick 804a, an auto transition / hover switch 806, an override button 808a, a takeoff / go-around (TOGA) switch 810, and a landing light button 812. Right controller 802b may include a thumb stick 804b, an override 808b, a push-to-talk (PTT) button 814, and an autopilot (AP) disconnect button 816.

[0078] The thumb stick 804a can be configured to perform different functions based on the determined operating mode. For example, in normal operating mode (e.g., the override control is not enabled), the thumb stick 804a can be configured to act as a buzzer switch that can adjust the airspeed by 1 knot per buzz (e.g., a single buzz command from the thumb stick 804a increases the airspeed by 1 knot). On the other hand, during override mode (e.g., the override control is enabled), control can be transferred from the left control 802a to the thumb stick 804a, causing the flight control system to ignore linear deflections of the left control 802a. The same configuration applies to the thumb stick 804b for the right control 802b.

[0079] Automatic transition / hover switch 806 can be configured to move forward, backward, and also to move / pushed in. For example, moving switch 806 upward / forward can place the aircraft in departure automatic transition mode. On the other hand, moving switch 806 back / backward can place the aircraft inbound automatic transition mode. Pressing switch 806 (i.e., pushing the switch in) can place the aircraft in hover response mode. In some embodiments, pressing switch 806 can switch the aircraft between hover response mode and forward flight mode. In some embodiments, the flight control system can ignore pressing switch 806 based on determining that the aircraft is flying at an airspeed above a predetermined threshold.

[0080] The override button 808a can be configured to transfer control from the left controller 802a to the thumb rocker 804a so that linear deflection of the left controller 802a can be ignored. The same configuration can be applied to the override button 808b.

[0081] TOGA switch 810 can be configured to execute different autopilot functions based on the determined flight phase. For example, if the flight phase is takeoff, pressing switch 810 can cause the aircraft to increase engine speed to provide the calculated takeoff power. On the other hand, if the flight phase is landing, pressing switch 810 can cause the aircraft to "go around" by increasing power to achieve go-around thrust.

[0082] The landing light button 812 may be configured to turn on / off lights used to assist in landing. The PTT button 814 may be configured to enable push-to-talk pilot input. The AP disconnect button 816 may be configured to disable the autopilot.

[0083] Additionally or alternatively, buttons and switches may also be configured for single presses, such that the buttons and switches do not need to be held down to perform their respective functions.

[0084] Figure 9 An exemplary method 900 for controlling an aircraft consistent with the disclosed embodiments is shown. The method 900 may be used to control an aircraft using a flight control device such as Figure 1 As discussed above, method 900 or a portion thereof may be executed by processor 130.

[0085] In step 902, the processor 130 may be configured to receive signals corresponding to longitudinal and lateral linear movements of a first manipulator and a second manipulator, wherein the first manipulator and the second manipulator are configured to accept the longitudinal and lateral linear movements as manual input. Figure 1 As discussed, each manipulator may have one or more sensors integrated thereto, the one or more sensors being configured to respond to forces applied via movement of the manipulator by generating electronic signals corresponding to the movement of the manipulator and transmitting the electronic signals to the processor 130. Additionally or alternatively, each manipulator may have one or more sensors integrated thereto, the one or more sensors being configured to respond to forces applied via movement of the manipulator by generating electronic signals corresponding to the movement of the manipulator and transmitting the electronic signals to the processor 130. Additionally or alternatively, each manipulator may include a force feedback component configured to receive a control signal from a flight control computer of a flight control device and to apply a reaction force based on the received control signal.

[0086] In some embodiments, the processor 130 can determine the airspeed of the aircraft and can determine the flight phase of a plurality of flight phases based on the determined airspeed of the aircraft. For example, the processor 130 can be configured to communicate with one or more sensors that are configured to measure or otherwise determine the airspeed of the aircraft. Based on the airspeed, the processor 130 can determine the flight phase of the aircraft. Additionally or alternatively, the processor 130 can determine the flight phase based on input received via a user interface. For example, the processor 130 can receive a signal indicating that the pilot desires to change the flight phase, wherein the signal is generated based on the received pilot input (e.g., receiving an indication of a button being pressed / moved on a manipulator). Additionally or alternatively, the processor 130 can determine the flight phase based on the measured ground speed.

[0087] In some embodiments, the plurality of flight phases include hover, transition, and conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL). For example, when the airspeed is less than a first predetermined airspeed, the processor 130 determines the flight phase as hover; when the airspeed is greater than or equal to the first predetermined airspeed and less than a second predetermined airspeed, the flight phase is determined as transition; and when the airspeed is greater than or equal to the second predetermined airspeed, the flight phase is determined as conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL).

[0088] In step 904, the processor 130 can be configured to control the movement of the aircraft based on the received signal, wherein controlling the heading of the aircraft is based on the signal corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second manipulator. In some embodiments, controlling the heading of the aircraft may include using a control law. In some embodiments, the heading control of the aircraft may be further based on the determined flight phase. For example, during a vertical takeoff or landing in a hovering flight phase, the heading may be controlled via the yaw axis of the aircraft based on the signal corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second manipulator. In some embodiments, the processor 130 may be configured to receive a movement signal from the second manipulator, wherein the movement signal corresponds to the longitudinal linear movement of the second manipulator, and the altitude of the aircraft may be controlled based on the received movement signal.

[0089] In some embodiments, controlling the movement of the aircraft based on the received signals may further include using a control law based on the determined flight phase. For example, when the determined flight phase is hovering, controlling the longitudinal inertial velocity may be based on the received signal corresponding to the longitudinal linear movement of the first manipulator, and controlling the lateral inertial velocity may be based on the received signal corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the first manipulator. Additionally or alternatively, when the determined flight phase is hovering, controlling the vertical velocity may be based on the received signal corresponding to the longitudinal linear movement of the second manipulator, and controlling the hover turn rate may be based on the received signal corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second manipulator. In some embodiments, when the determined flight phase is transition or conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL), controlling the airspeed rate may be based on the received signal corresponding to the longitudinal linear movement of the first manipulator, and controlling the lateral relative airspeed may be based on the received signal corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the first manipulator. Additionally or alternatively, controlling the flight path angular rate may be based on the received signal corresponding to the longitudinal linear movement of the second manipulator, and controlling the bank turn rate may be based on the received signal corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

[0090] In some embodiments, the processor 130 may receive a mode signal to switch the flight control. For example, the processor 130 may receive a mode signal for switching the flight control from a first mode to a second mode, and may switch the flight control from the first mode to the second mode, where the first mode is a hovering mode and the second mode is a cruise mode. In some embodiments, the processor 130 may receive a mode signal for switching the flight control from a first mode to a third mode, and may switch the flight control from the first mode to the third mode, where the first mode is a hovering mode and the third mode is a deceleration mode.

[0091] In some embodiments, the processor 130 may receive a transfer control signal and, in response to the received transfer control signal, may transfer command control from at least one of the first manipulator or the second manipulator to at least one of the third manipulator or the fourth manipulator. For example, in response to receiving a transfer control signal from the first manipulator (e.g., the left manipulator), the processor 130 may transfer command control to the third manipulator (e.g., the left thumb stick).

[0092] In some embodiments, the second manipulator is not configured to accept twisting movements as manual input.

[0093] In some embodiments, controlling the heading of the aircraft is not based on a signal corresponding to a twisting movement of the second manipulator.

[0094] The embodiments may be further described using the following terms:

[0095] Clause Set A:

[0096] 1. A flight control device comprising:

[0097] processor;

[0098] a first manipulator communicatively coupled to the processor, the first manipulator configured to accept longitudinal and lateral linear movements as manual input and provide corresponding signals to the processor; and

[0099] a second manipulator communicatively coupled to the processor, the second manipulator configured to accept longitudinal and lateral linear movements as manual input and provide corresponding signals to the processor;

[0100] The processor is configured to control the heading of the aircraft using a signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to a lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

[0101] 2. The apparatus of clause A1, wherein the processor is configured to control the heading of the aircraft using a control law.

[0102] 3. Apparatus according to any of clauses A1 or A2, wherein the processor is configured to control the heading of the aircraft based on the determined flight phase.

[0103] 4. An apparatus according to any one of clauses A1 to A3, wherein during a hovering flight phase, the processor is configured to control the heading via the yaw axis of the aircraft using the signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

[0104] 5. An apparatus according to any one of clauses A1 to A4, wherein during a normal flight phase, the processor is configured to control the heading via the roll angle of the aircraft using the signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

[0105] 6. Apparatus according to any of clauses A1 to A5, wherein the processor is configured to control the altitude of the aircraft using signals received from the second manipulator corresponding to longitudinal linear movement of the second manipulator.

[0106] 7. Apparatus according to any of clauses A1 to A6, wherein the first control is a left control and the second control is a right control relative to a pilot of the aircraft.

[0107] 8. Apparatus according to any of clauses A1 to A7, wherein the processor is not configured to use a signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to a twisting movement of the second manipulator to control the heading of the aircraft.

[0108] 9. Apparatus according to any of clauses A1 to A8, wherein the second manipulator is not configured to provide a signal to the processor corresponding to a twisting movement as a manual input.

[0109] 10. Apparatus according to any of clauses A1 to A9, wherein the second manipulator is not configured to accept twisting movement as manual input.

[0110] 11. Apparatus according to any of clauses A1 to A10, wherein the flight control apparatus does not comprise foot pedals configured to control the heading via a yaw axis of the aircraft in flight.

[0111] 12. The apparatus of clause A3, further comprising:

[0112] at least one sensor configured to measure an airspeed of the aircraft, wherein the at least one sensor is communicatively coupled to the processor to determine a flight phase of a plurality of flight phases based on the measured airspeed of the aircraft, and

[0113] The plurality of flight phases include hovering when the measured airspeed is less than a first predetermined airspeed, transitioning when the measured airspeed is greater than or equal to the first predetermined airspeed and less than a second predetermined airspeed, and normal when the measured airspeed is greater than or equal to the second predetermined airspeed.

[0114] 13. Apparatus according to any of clauses A1 to A12, wherein the processor is further configured to control the aircraft based on the determined flight phase using a control law such that:

[0115] When the determined flight phase is hovering,

[0116] Longitudinal linear movement of the first manipulator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the longitudinal inertial velocity of the aircraft, and lateral linear movement of the first manipulator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the lateral inertial velocity of the aircraft, and

[0117] Longitudinal linear movement of the second manipulator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling a vertical speed of the aircraft, and lateral linear movement of the second manipulator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling a hover turn rate of the aircraft; and

[0118] When said determined flight phase is transitional or conventional,

[0119] Longitudinal linear movement of the first actuator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the rate of change of the aircraft's airspeed, and lateral linear movement of the first actuator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the aircraft's lateral relative airspeed, and

[0120] Longitudinal linear movement of the second effector provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling a flight path angular rate of the aircraft, and lateral linear movement of the second effector provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling a banked turn rate of the aircraft.

[0121] 14. Apparatus according to any of clauses A1 to A13, wherein the processor is configured to determine a response mode and output a manipulator command based on the determined response mode, comprising:

[0122] When the determined response mode is the first mode and the first manipulator is placed in a longitudinal detent, the output manipulator command is used to maintain the current longitudinal position of the aircraft; and

[0123] When the determined response mode is the second mode and the first effector is placed in a longitudinal detent, the output effector command is used to maintain an airspeed at which the aircraft was moving before the first effector was placed in the longitudinal detent.

[0124] 15. The apparatus of clause A14, wherein the first mode is only available when the measured ground speed is less than a predetermined ground speed.

[0125] 16. Apparatus according to any of clauses A1 to A15, further comprising:

[0126] A transition button is configured to switch the flight control to a cruise mode for a departure transition when the transition button is moved forward, and to switch the flight control to a deceleration mode for an arrival transition when the transition button is moved backward.

[0127] 17. Apparatus according to any of clauses A1 to A16, further comprising:

[0128] a first thumb manipulator associated with the first manipulator; and

[0129] A second thumb manipulator is associated with the second manipulator.

[0130] Clause Set B:

[0131] 1. A flight simulator device comprising:

[0132] processor;

[0133] a first manipulator communicatively coupled to the processor, the first manipulator configured to accept longitudinal and lateral linear movements as manual input and provide corresponding signals to the processor; and

[0134] a second manipulator communicatively coupled to the processor, the second manipulator configured to accept longitudinal and lateral linear movements as manual input and provide corresponding signals to the processor;

[0135] The processor is configured to control the heading of the simulated aircraft using a signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to a lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

[0136] 2. The apparatus of clause B1, wherein the processor is configured to control the heading of the simulated aircraft using a control law.

[0137] 3. Apparatus according to any of clauses B1 or B2, wherein the processor is configured to control the heading of the simulated aircraft based on the determined flight phase.

[0138] 4. An apparatus according to any one of clauses B1 to B3, wherein during a hovering flight phase, the processor is configured to control the heading via the yaw axis of the simulated aircraft using the signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

[0139] 5. An apparatus according to any one of clauses B1 to B3, wherein during a conventional flight phase, the processor is configured to control the heading via the roll angle of the simulated aircraft using the signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

[0140] 6. Apparatus according to any of clauses B1 to B5, wherein the processor is configured to control the altitude of the simulated aircraft using a signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to longitudinal linear movement of the second manipulator.

[0141] 7. Apparatus according to any of clauses B1 to B6, wherein the first manipulator is a left manipulator and the second manipulator is a right manipulator relative to a user of the flight simulator apparatus.

[0142] 8. Apparatus according to any of clauses B1 to B7, wherein the processor is not configured to use a signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to a twisting movement of the second manipulator to control the heading of the simulated aircraft.

[0143] 9. Apparatus according to any of clauses B1 to B8, wherein the second manipulator is not configured to provide a signal to the processor corresponding to a twisting movement as a manual input.

[0144] 10. Apparatus according to any of clauses B1 to B9, wherein the second manipulator is not configured to accept a twisting movement as manual input.

[0145] 11. Apparatus according to any of clauses B1 to B10, wherein the flight simulator apparatus does not comprise foot pedals configured to control the heading via a yaw axis of the simulated aircraft in flight.

[0146] 12. An apparatus according to clause B3, wherein the processor is configured to determine a flight phase among a plurality of flight phases based on the airspeed of the simulated aircraft, and wherein the plurality of flight phases include hovering when the airspeed is less than a first predetermined airspeed, transitioning when the airspeed is greater than or equal to the first predetermined airspeed and less than a second predetermined airspeed, and conventional when the airspeed is greater than or equal to the second predetermined airspeed.

[0147] 13. Apparatus according to any of clauses B1 to B12, wherein the processor is further configured to control the simulated aircraft based on the determined flight phase using a control law such that:

[0148] When the determined flight phase is hovering,

[0149] Longitudinal linear movement of the first manipulator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the longitudinal inertial velocity of the simulated aircraft, and lateral linear movement of the first manipulator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the lateral inertial velocity of the simulated aircraft, and

[0150] Longitudinal linear movement of the second manipulator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling a vertical speed of the simulated aircraft, and lateral linear movement of the second manipulator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling a hover turn rate of the simulated aircraft; and

[0151] When said determined flight phase is transitional or conventional,

[0152] Longitudinal linear movement of the first actuator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the rate of change of the simulated aircraft's airspeed, and lateral linear movement of the first actuator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the lateral relative airspeed of the simulated aircraft, and

[0153] Longitudinal linear movement of the second effector provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling a flight path angular rate of the simulated aircraft, and lateral linear movement of the second effector provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling a banked turn rate of the simulated aircraft.

[0154] 14. Apparatus according to any of clauses B1 to B13, wherein the processor is configured to determine a response mode and output a manipulator command based on the determined response mode, comprising:

[0155] When the determined response mode is the first mode and the first manipulator is placed in a longitudinal detent, the output manipulator command is used to maintain the current longitudinal position of the simulated aircraft; and

[0156] When the determined response mode is the second mode and the first manipulator is placed in a longitudinal detent, the output manipulator commands are used to maintain an airspeed at which the simulated aircraft was moving before the first manipulator was placed in the longitudinal detent.

[0157] 15. The apparatus of clause B14, wherein the first mode is available only when the ground speed of the simulated aircraft is less than a predetermined ground speed.

[0158] 16. Apparatus according to any of clauses B1 to B15, further comprising:

[0159] A transition button is configured to switch the flight control to a cruise mode for a departure transition when the transition button is moved forward, and to switch the flight control to a deceleration mode for an arrival transition when the transition button is moved backward.

[0160] 17. Apparatus according to any of clauses B1 to B16, further comprising:

[0161] a first thumb manipulator associated with the first manipulator; and

[0162] A second thumb manipulator is associated with the second manipulator.

[0163] Clause Set C:

[0164] 1. A video game device comprising:

[0165] processor;

[0166] a first manipulator communicatively coupled to the processor, the first manipulator configured to accept longitudinal and lateral linear movements as manual input and provide corresponding signals to the processor; and

[0167] a second manipulator communicatively coupled to the processor, the second manipulator configured to accept longitudinal and lateral linear movements as manual input and provide corresponding signals to the processor;

[0168] The processor is configured to use the signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second manipulator to control the heading of the aircraft in the video game.

[0169] 2. The apparatus of clause C1, wherein the processor is configured to control the heading of the aircraft using a control law.

[0170] 3. Apparatus according to any of clauses C1 or C2, wherein the processor is configured to control the heading of the aircraft based on the determined flight phase.

[0171] 4. An apparatus according to any one of clauses C1 to C3, wherein during a hovering flight phase, the processor is configured to control the heading via the yaw axis of the aircraft using the signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

[0172] 5. An apparatus according to any one of clauses C1 to C3, wherein during a normal flight phase, the processor is configured to control the heading via the roll angle of the aircraft using the signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

[0173] 6. Apparatus according to any of clauses C1 to C5, wherein the processor is configured to control the altitude of the aircraft using a signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to a longitudinal linear movement of the second manipulator.

[0174] 7. The device of any of clauses C1 to C6, wherein the first manipulator is a left manipulator and the second manipulator is a right manipulator relative to a user of the video game device.

[0175] 8. Apparatus according to any of clauses C1 to C7, wherein the processor is not configured to use a signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to a twisting movement of the second manipulator to control the heading of the aircraft.

[0176] 9. Apparatus according to any of clauses C1 to C8, wherein the second manipulator is not configured to provide a signal to the processor corresponding to a twisting movement as a manual input.

[0177] 10. Apparatus according to any of clauses C1 to C9, wherein the second manipulator is not configured to accept a twisting movement as manual input.

[0178] 11. The device of any of clauses C1 to C10, wherein the video game device does not include foot pedals configured to control the heading via a yaw axis of the aircraft in flight.

[0179] 12. An apparatus according to clause C3, wherein the processor is configured to determine a flight phase among a plurality of flight phases based on the airspeed of the aircraft, and wherein the plurality of flight phases include hovering when the airspeed is less than a first predetermined airspeed, transitioning when the airspeed is greater than or equal to the first predetermined airspeed and less than a second predetermined airspeed, and conventional when the airspeed is greater than or equal to the second predetermined airspeed.

[0180] 13. Apparatus according to any of clauses C1 to C12, wherein the processor is further configured to control the aircraft based on the determined flight phase using a control law such that:

[0181] When the determined flight phase is hovering,

[0182] Longitudinal linear movement of the first manipulator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the longitudinal inertial velocity of the aircraft, and lateral linear movement of the first manipulator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the lateral inertial velocity of the aircraft, and

[0183] Longitudinal linear movement of the second manipulator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling a vertical speed of the aircraft, and lateral linear movement of the second manipulator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling a hover turn rate of the aircraft; and

[0184] When said determined flight phase is transitional or conventional,

[0185] Longitudinal linear movement of the first actuator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the rate of change of the aircraft's airspeed, and lateral linear movement of the first actuator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the aircraft's lateral relative airspeed, and

[0186] Longitudinal linear movement of the second effector provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling a flight path angular rate of the aircraft, and lateral linear movement of the second effector provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling a banked turn rate of the aircraft.

[0187] 14. Apparatus according to any of clauses C1 to C13, wherein the processor is configured to determine a response mode and output a manipulator command based on the determined response mode, comprising:

[0188] When the determined response mode is the first mode and the first manipulator is placed in a longitudinal detent, the output manipulator command is used to maintain the current longitudinal position of the aircraft; and

[0189] When the determined response mode is the second mode and the first effector is placed in a longitudinal detent, the output effector command is used to maintain an airspeed at which the aircraft was moving before the first effector was placed in the longitudinal detent.

[0190] 15. The apparatus of clause C14, wherein the first mode is enabled only when a ground speed of the aircraft is less than a predetermined ground speed.

[0191] 16. Apparatus according to any of clauses C1 to C15, further comprising:

[0192] A transition button is configured to switch the flight control to a cruise mode for a departure transition when the transition button is moved forward, and to switch the flight control to a deceleration mode for an arrival transition when the transition button is moved backward.

[0193] 17. Apparatus according to any of clauses C1 to C16, further comprising:

[0194] a first thumb manipulator associated with the first manipulator; and

[0195] A second thumb manipulator is associated with the second manipulator.

[0196] Clause Set D:

[0197] 1. A method for controlling an aircraft, the method comprising:

[0198] receiving signals corresponding to longitudinal and lateral linear movement of a first manipulator and a second manipulator, wherein the first manipulator and the second manipulator are configured to accept the longitudinal and lateral linear movement as manual input; and

[0199] Movement of the aircraft is controlled based on the received signal, wherein controlling the heading of the aircraft is based on the signal corresponding to lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

[0200] 2. The method of clause D1, wherein controlling the heading of the aircraft comprises using a control law.

[0201] 3. The method of clause D1 or D2, wherein controlling the heading of the aircraft is further based on the determined flight phase.

[0202] 4. The method of clause D3, further comprising:

[0203] When in a hovering flight phase, the heading is controlled via the yaw axis of the aircraft based on a signal corresponding to a lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

[0204] 5. The method of clause D3, further comprising:

[0205] When in a normal flight phase, the heading is controlled via the roll angle of the aircraft based on a signal corresponding to a lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

[0206] 6. The method of any one of clauses D1 to D5, further comprising:

[0207] receiving a movement signal from the second manipulator, wherein the movement signal corresponds to a longitudinal linear movement of the second manipulator; and

[0208] The altitude of the aircraft is controlled based on the received movement signal.

[0209] 7. The method of any one of clauses D1 to D6, further comprising:

[0210] receiving a mode signal for switching the flight control from a first mode to a second mode; and

[0211] The flight control is switched from the first mode to the second mode, wherein the first mode is a hover mode and the second mode is a cruise mode.

[0212] 8. The method of any one of clauses D1 to D7, further comprising:

[0213] receiving a mode signal for switching the flight control from the first mode to a third mode; and

[0214] The flight control is switched from the first mode to the third mode, wherein the first mode is a hovering mode and the third mode is a deceleration mode.

[0215] 9. The method of any one of clauses D1 to D8, further comprising:

[0216] determining the airspeed of the aircraft; and

[0217] determining a flight phase of a plurality of flight phases based on the determined airspeed of the aircraft,

[0218] The multiple flight phases include hovering when the determined airspeed is less than a first predetermined airspeed, transitioning when the determined airspeed is greater than or equal to the first predetermined airspeed and less than a second predetermined airspeed, and conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) when the determined airspeed is greater than or equal to the second predetermined airspeed.

[0219] 10. The method of any of clauses D1 to D9, wherein controlling the movement of the aircraft based on the received signal further comprises:

[0220] Based on the determined flight phase, a control law is used where:

[0221] When the determined flight phase is hovering,

[0222] controlling the longitudinal inertial velocity based on a signal corresponding to the longitudinal linear movement of the first manipulator, and controlling the lateral inertial velocity based on a signal corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the first manipulator, and

[0223] controlling the vertical speed based on a signal corresponding to the longitudinal linear movement of the second manipulator, and controlling the hover turn rate based on a signal corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second manipulator, and

[0224] When the determined flight phase is transition or conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL),

[0225] controlling the rate of change of airspeed based on a signal corresponding to longitudinal linear movement of the first actuator, and controlling the lateral relative airspeed based on a signal corresponding to lateral linear movement of the first actuator, and

[0226] Controlling the flight path angular rate is based on a signal corresponding to the longitudinal linear movement of the second effector, and controlling the bank turn rate is based on a signal corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second effector.

[0227] 11. The method of any one of clauses D1 to D10, further comprising:

[0228] receiving a transfer control signal; and

[0229] In response to the received transfer control signal, command control is transferred from at least one of the first manipulator or the second manipulator to at least one of the third manipulator or the fourth manipulator.

[0230] 12. A method according to any of clauses D1 to D11, wherein the second manipulator is not configured to accept a twisting movement as manual input.

[0231] 13. The method of any of clauses D1 to D12, wherein controlling the heading of the aircraft is not based on a signal corresponding to a twisting movement of the second manipulator.

[0232] 14. The method of any one of clauses D1 to D13, wherein the method is performed in one of: a real aircraft; a flight simulator device; and a video game device.

[0233] The foregoing description has been presented for illustrative purposes. It is not exhaustive and does not limit the invention to the precise forms or embodiments disclosed. Modifications and adaptations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosed embodiments of the invention disclosed herein.

[0234] The features and advantages of the present disclosure are apparent from the detailed description, and therefore, the appended claims cover all systems and methods within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, the indefinite articles "a" and "an" mean "one or more". Similarly, unless the use of plural terms is clear in a given context, they do not necessarily represent plural. Unless otherwise expressly noted, words such as "and" or "or" mean "and / or". In addition, since various modifications and changes will be easily made by studying the present disclosure, it is not desired to limit the present disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and therefore all suitable modifications and equivalents can be attributed to and fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0235] Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the embodiments disclosed herein. The structures and circuit arrangements shown in the figures are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limited to the specific arrangements and circuit arrangements as described and shown in the figures. The description and examples are intended to be considered exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device for controlling an aircraft, the device comprising: processor; a first manipulator communicatively coupled to the processor, the first manipulator configured to accept longitudinal and lateral linear movements as manual input and provide corresponding signals to the processor; as well as a second manipulator communicatively coupled to the processor, the second manipulator configured to accept longitudinal and lateral linear movements as manual input and provide corresponding signals to the processor; The processor is configured to control the heading of the aircraft using a signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to a lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein In both a hover flight phase and a conventional flight phase, the processor is configured to control the heading of the aircraft using the signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to a lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The processor is configured to control the heading of the aircraft using a control law.

4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The processor is configured to control the heading of the aircraft based on the determined flight phase.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein During a hovering flight phase, the processor is configured to control the heading via a yaw axis of the aircraft using the signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to a lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

6. The device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: During a normal flight phase, the processor is configured to control the heading via a roll angle of the aircraft using the signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to a lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

7. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The processor is configured to control the altitude of the aircraft using a signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to longitudinal linear movement of the second manipulator.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein Relative to a pilot of the aircraft, the first control is a left control and the second control is a right control.

9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein The processor is not configured to control the heading of the aircraft using a signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to a twisting movement of the second manipulator.

10. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein The second manipulator is not configured to provide a signal to the processor corresponding to a twisting movement as a manual input.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein The second manipulator is not configured to accept twisting movement as manual input.

12. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein The apparatus does not include foot pedals configured to control the heading via a yaw axis of the aircraft in flight.

13. The apparatus according to any one of claims 4, 5 or 6, wherein: The processor is configured to determine a flight phase in a plurality of flight phases based on an airspeed of the aircraft, and The multiple flight phases include hovering when the airspeed is less than a first predetermined airspeed, transition when the airspeed is greater than or equal to the first predetermined airspeed and less than a second predetermined airspeed, and normal when the airspeed is greater than or equal to the second predetermined airspeed.

14. The apparatus of any one of claims 4, 5, 6 or 13, wherein: The processor is further configured to control the aircraft based on the determined flight phase using a control law such that: When the determined flight phase is hovering, Longitudinal linear movement of the first manipulator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the longitudinal inertial velocity of the aircraft, and lateral linear movement of the first manipulator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the lateral inertial velocity of the aircraft, and Longitudinal linear movement of the second actuator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling a vertical speed of the aircraft, and lateral linear movement of the second actuator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling a turn rate of the aircraft; and When said determined flight phase is transitional or conventional, Longitudinal linear movement of the first actuator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the rate of change of the aircraft's airspeed, and lateral linear movement of the first actuator provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling the aircraft's lateral relative airspeed, and Longitudinal linear movement of the second effector provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling a flight path angular rate of the aircraft, and lateral linear movement of the second effector provides a corresponding signal to the processor for controlling a banked turn rate of the aircraft.

15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein The processor is configured to determine a response mode and output a manipulator command based on the determined response mode, comprising: When the determined response mode is the first mode and the first manipulator is placed in a longitudinal detent, the output manipulator command is used to maintain the current longitudinal position of the aircraft; and When the determined response mode is the second mode and the first effector is placed in a longitudinal detent, the output effector command is used to maintain an airspeed at which the aircraft was moving before the first effector was placed in the longitudinal detent.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein The first mode is only available when the ground speed is less than a predetermined ground speed.

17. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 16, further comprising: A transition button is configured to switch the flight control to a cruise mode for a departure transition when the transition button is moved forward, and to switch the flight control to a deceleration mode for an arrival transition when the transition button is moved backward.

18. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 17, further comprising: a first thumb manipulator associated with said first manipulator; as well as A second thumb manipulator is associated with the second manipulator.

19. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein The device is one of: a control device for a flight simulator or a control device for a video game.

20. A method of controlling an aircraft, the method comprising: receiving, via a processor, signals corresponding to longitudinal and lateral linear movement of a first manipulator and a second manipulator, wherein the first manipulator and the second manipulator are configured to accept the longitudinal and lateral linear movement as manual input; and Movement of the aircraft is controlled via the processor based on the received signal, wherein controlling the heading of the aircraft is based on the signal corresponding to lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein In both a hover flight phase and a conventional flight phase, the processor is configured to control the heading of the aircraft using a signal received from the second manipulator corresponding to a lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, wherein Controlling the heading of the aircraft includes using a control law.

23. The method according to claim 20, 21 or 22, wherein Controlling the heading of the aircraft is further based on the determined flight phase.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising: When in a hovering flight phase, the heading is controlled via the yaw axis of the aircraft based on a signal corresponding to a lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

25. The method according to claim 23 or 24, further comprising: When in a normal flight phase, the heading is controlled via the roll angle of the aircraft based on a signal corresponding to a lateral linear movement of the second manipulator.

26. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 25, further comprising: receiving a movement signal from the second manipulator, wherein the movement signal corresponds to a longitudinal linear movement of the second manipulator; and The altitude of the aircraft is controlled based on the received movement signal.

27. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 26, further comprising: receiving a mode signal for switching the flight control from a first mode to a second mode; as well as The flight control is switched from the first mode to the second mode, wherein the first mode is a hover mode and the second mode is a cruise mode.

28. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 27, further comprising: receiving a mode signal for switching the flight control from the first mode to a third mode; as well as The flight control is switched from the first mode to the third mode, wherein the first mode is a hovering mode and the third mode is a deceleration mode.

29. The method according to any one of claims 23, 24 or 25, further comprising: determining the airspeed of the aircraft; as well as determining a flight phase of a plurality of flight phases based on the determined airspeed of the aircraft, The multiple flight phases include hovering when the determined airspeed is less than a first predetermined airspeed, transition when the determined airspeed is greater than or equal to the first predetermined airspeed and less than a second predetermined airspeed, and normal when the determined airspeed is greater than or equal to the second predetermined airspeed.

30. The method of any one of claims 23, 24, 25 or 29, wherein Controlling the movement of the aircraft based on the received signal further comprises: Based on the determined flight phase, a control law is used where: When the determined flight phase is hovering, controlling the longitudinal inertial velocity based on a signal corresponding to the longitudinal linear movement of the first manipulator, and controlling the lateral inertial velocity based on a signal corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the first manipulator, and controlling the vertical speed based on a signal corresponding to the longitudinal linear movement of the second manipulator, and controlling the hover turn rate based on a signal corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second manipulator, and When said determined flight phase is transitional or conventional, controlling the rate of change of airspeed based on a signal corresponding to longitudinal linear movement of the first actuator, and controlling the lateral relative airspeed based on a signal corresponding to lateral linear movement of the first actuator, and Controlling the flight path angular rate is based on a signal corresponding to the longitudinal linear movement of the second effector, and controlling the bank turn rate is based on a signal corresponding to the lateral linear movement of the second effector.

31. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 30, further comprising: receiving a transfer control signal; as well as In response to receiving the transfer control signal, command control is transferred from at least one of the first manipulator or the second manipulator to at least one of a third manipulator or a fourth manipulator.

32. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 31, wherein Controlling the heading of the aircraft is not based on a signal corresponding to a twisting movement of the second manipulator.

33. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 32, wherein The second manipulator is not configured to accept twisting movement as manual input.

34. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 33, wherein The method is performed to control an aircraft through a flight simulator or in a video game.

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